Fluid-operated motor.



M. VAN B. ETHRIDGE.

FLUID OPERATED MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31. 1914.

1,163,330. Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

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M. VAN B. ETHRIDGE.

FLUID OPERATED MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3|. 1914.

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Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

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FLUID OPERATED MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MARBI. 1914.

1,163,330, Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

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M. VAN B. ETHRIDGE.

FLUID OPERATED MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.3!.1914.

1,163,330. Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

UNITED snares sauna MARTIN V. B. ETI-IRIIDGE, OF BRCOKLYN, NEW' YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AUGUSTE 'r.

RIEDINGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FLUID-OPERATED Moron.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. '7, 1915..

Application filed March 31, 1914. Serial No. 828,439.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN VAN BUREN ETI-IRIDGE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improves ments in Fluid-Operated Motors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in fluid operated motors, the same being designed to be operated by means of a fluid under pressure, such as air, gas, steam, and similar fluids, and the object thereof is to provide an improved fluid op-- Referring now to the drawings accom= panying and forming part of this application, and in which the preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated-Figure 1 is a view illustrating my improved fluid operated motor in perspective; Fig. 2 is a view showing a section of the same taken upon a central plane extending longitudinally of the motor axis; Fig. 3 is a view showing one of the halves of the casing of my improved motor, together with the various elements contained within said casing, looking toward the right, Fig. 2; F ig. 1 is a similar view, showing the other ofthe two'parts of the casing of my motor, looking to ard the left, Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a view showmgthe rotary piston carrying member of my lmproved motor in perspective; Fig. 6 is a similar view showing a stationary cam member of my improved motor; Fig. 6 is a view showing a sectionof the same upon a plane indicated by the line 6-6, Fig.6; Fig. 7 is a view in perspective illustrating the, interior construction of the right-hand portion of the casing of my motor: and Figs. 8 to 10 are fragmentary views illustrating certain de-- tails of construction of my improved fluid operated motor.

My improved motor includes a suitable casing made up of two members, 11, 12, the same being provided with flanges at their inner ends, as illustrated, whereby they may be secured together to form a unitary motor casing- This motor casing is hollow, and a fluid under pressure may be supplied thereto through a suitable pipe connected with an opening shown at 13 to thereby charge the interior of the casing with fluid under pressure.

Referring now to Fig.7, the interior of the portion ll of the motor casing is pro- 'vided with a circumferentially extending cam surface beginning at the point indi-' cated by thereference character 14 and extending in a plane perpendicularly to the axis, of the motor throughout about 90 de grees, or to the point- 15, after which'it assumes the spiral form and terminates at the point 16in an abutment 26 extending parallel with the shaft of the motor. This portion 11 of the casing is also provided with a circular seat shown at 17, and the reference.

numeral 18 indicates a'stationary cam member formed separate from the casing, and the exterior of which is cylindrical, as shown.

This cam member is provided with a projecting sleeve 19, through which the driven shaft 20 of the motor extends, as best-shown in Fig. 2, and the end of this sleeve is fixed in a flange 21 secured to the inner surface of the second part 12 of the motor casing, as

clearly shown'in Fig. 2. p The stationary cam member above referred to is provided with a cam surface upon its periphery, which cam surface is indicated by thereference numeral 22, and the form of which corresponds with the form of the cam surface hereinbefore referred to, as provided within the portion 11.

of the casing. The exterior diameter of this stationary cam member is less than the diameterof the seat 17, so as to provide an annular space between theperiphery of the cam member and the circular seat 17 of portion 11 of the casing, within which annular space a piston carrying member, to be hereinafter more specifically referred to, operates, and the cam member is secured in position within the motor casing in such a manner that its cam surface 22 corresponds with the cam surface in the portion 11 above referred to. Said cam member is provided with an annular wall 23, which wall in con nection with the inner annular wall of the casing member 11, indicated by the reference numeral 241, Fig. 7 provides an annular circumferentially extending channel or raceway, the bottom wall of which is made up of the two cam surfaces upon the casing member 11 and stationary cam member hereinbefore referred to.

The stationary cam member is provided with a recess, as shown at 2%, and 25 is a port leading from this recess and into the annular raceway above referred to, which port is located adjacent the abutment hereinbefore referred to at the ends of the cams,the location of these abutmcnts being at or about the point 26, Fig. 3.

The reference numeral 27 designates a rotary piston carrying member secured to the shaft 20, and through which the shaft is driven. The periphery of this piston carrying member extends parallel with the shaft of the motor and fits in between the annular seat 17 upon the casing member 11 and the periphery of the stationary cam member 18, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing; and the periphery of said member is provided with a series of slots 28. This piston member serves as a support for a plurality of driving aistons upon which the fluid under pressure acts, and through which motion is transmitted to the driving shaft 20. These pistons are illustrated as six in number, and they are of such dimensions as to move along the raceway hereinbefore re ferred to, and as will be understood from Figs. 2 and 3. These pistons may be of any form, but are shown as substantially rectangular. They are formed from thin tubing, as illustrated in the drawing, and oppo site peripheral walls of each of said pistons enter into and slide parallel with the shaft of the motor in the slots 28 of the piston carrying member. When the motor is in operation, these pistons travel within the channel or raceway as above explained, during which movement they are also moved toward the left, Fig. 2, by the cam surface formed by the bottom wall of said raceway until they are carried past the highest point of the cams, that is, past the abutment 26, whereupon they are moved to the right and into a position in front of the abutment 26 by a piston operating mechanism to be hereinafter described. The fluid under pressure passes from the space 2% through the port 25, and acts within the chamber formed between the abutments 26, the side and bottom walls of the channel or raceway above referred to and the pistons, this action taking place as each successive piston passes the abutment 26, as will be understood. It will be appreciated, however, that because of the fact that the pistons are tubular with thin walls, they may be moved in a direction parallel with the' 1 axis, or to the left (Fig. 2) with minimum of effort against whatever pressure may exist within the motor casing; whereas the pressure which moves each piston away from the abutment 2G is the full pressure within the motor casing acting upon the entire area of the piston within the annular raceway.

The pistons above referred to are designated by the reference numeral 29, and each of them is provided with a crossbar 30. The piston carrying member 27 is provided with a series of guide rollers 31, 32, secured in suitable brackets upon one face thereof, as shown on Fig. 2, and 33 designates flexible piston operating members extending about said guides, and the inner ends of which members are connected with the crossbars 30, through suitable swivel connections to avoid binding of the parts. The other ends of the flexible members 33 are connected with the springs 3a, which springs in turn are connected to one of a series of pins carried by a collar 35, secured to the shaft 20. The number of springs and flexible connections correspond with the number of pistons as will be understood, and it will also be obvious that the tendency of the springs 34: is to draw the pistons 29 toward the right, Fig. 2, and keep the ends of said pistons in contact with the cam surface formed by the bottom wall of the channel or raceway above referred to.

The reference numeral 36 designates a 1'0- tary spider supported upon and free to rotate about the sleeve 19 of the stationary cam member, and which spider in connection with the piston carrying member 27 forms a support for the pistons 29, the spider being provided for the purpose of guiding the pistons as they are moved parallel with the axis of the motor, as hereinbefore explained, while the power due to the action of the fluid under pressure upon said pistons is transmitted to the shaft through the piston carrying member because of the permanent engagement of the pistons therewith. This spider is located within the portion 12 of the motor casing, as will be understood from Fig. i, and the same is provided with a series of pairs of arms 37, which arms are substantially parallel, and between which the pistons 29 are moved toward the left by the cam surface in the raceway. One arm of each of the pairs of arms is provided with ribs 38, the purpose of which is to keepthe adjacent surface of the piston away from the arm upon which said ribs are located, in order to reduce the force necessary to move the pistons into the several pockets formed by the parallel pairs of arms 37. This spider is also provided with a series of lugs 39, each vided with a finger l2,located adjacent the port 25, the purpose of which is to delay slightly the movement of the successive pistons 29 into the annular raceway. This is accomplished by providing a stop 4E3 upon each of the flexible members 33, the arrangement and location of the stop and finger I being such that the stop engages a free end of the finger as th-epistons pass beyond the highest point 16, of the cam, whereby the pistons are held against movement by the spring 34 for a short time, and until the stop moves away from the free end of the finger, whereupon the flexible member is freed so thatth-e piston with which it is coil nected may bemoved by spring 53:4: connected with it.

Any suitable mechanism may be provided for the purposeof regulating the speed of my improved motor. I have, however,

illustrated a form of governor comprising an eccentric H, secured to and rotating with the shaft 20, and which eccentric operates a piston a5 located within a cyllnder46, supported in any suitable way, but shown as secured to the motor casing. Leading from this cylinder is a pipe l? having a valve 48.

In view of the premises, it will be seen that when the valve as is in such a position to open a free passage through the pipe 4:7, a minimum of resistance will be offered to themovement of the piston 45. If, how ever, the valvelS be operated to partially close the opening in the pipe 47, the flow of air through the pipe will be restricted, and a load imposed upon the piston &5 which will cause themotor to operate more slowly.

I contemplate using my improved fluid operated motor for operating automobiles and in similar services, in which case the valve ,48 will be operated by hand inorder to thereby control the speed of the vehicle. Said valve may, however, be operated and is prefer bly operated when the engine is used as a stationary engine forpower purposes by means of any suitable centrifugal governor, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

In view of the premises, it will be understood that each of the pistons 29, after passing the abutment 26, will be acted upon by the fluid under pressure withinthe annular channel or raceway, which fluid has entered said raceway through theport 25, as above explained. The piston then moves forward through the flat portion of the cam surface which forms the bottom wall of the raceway, or, as hereinbefore explained, through about degrees. The piston then begins to ride up theoinclined'portion of said cam surface and continues to do so untilit reaches the highest part 16 thereof, as hereinbefore explained, after which it is moved into a position in front of the abutment 26 by the spring 34. This movement of the pistons in a directionparallel to their axes and parallel to the axis of the motor is not opposed by the pressure of the fluid within the motor casing, for the reason that the walls of the pistons are as thin as practicable, as hereinbeforeexplained..

Having thus describedand explained my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

, 1. In a fluid operated motor, a casing comprising two. casing members secured to gether andone of which is provided with an inner annular wall and with a circumferentially extending cam surface terminat ing in an abutment; a cam member located and the annular wall of said cam member being concentric and formingthe sides of an annularchannel, and the two cam surfaces aforesaid together forming the bottom Wall of said channel; a shaft supported in bearings in said casing; a rotary annular piston carrying member carried by said shaft and operating in the space between said cam member and said casing; a plurality of pietons carried by and movable relative to said piston carrying member and adapted to move along said channel; means for moving each of said pistons into said channel after it has moved past said abutment; and a port adjacent said abutment and through which fluid may flow into said channel.

:2. In a fluid operated motor, a casing comprising two casing members secured together and one of which is provided with an inner annular wall, and with a circumferentially extending cam surface terminating in an abutment; a cam member located within and spaced apart from said casing and having an annular wall, and a cam sur face corresponding in form with said first mentioned cam surface, the inner annular wall of said first mentioned casing member and the annular wall of said cam member being concentric andforming the sides of an annular channel, and the two cam surfaces aforesaid together forming the bottom wall of said channel; a shaft supported in bearingsin said casing; a rotary annular piston oarrying member carried by said shaft and operating in the spacebetween said cam member and said casing; a plurality of pistons movable in slots provided also in a direction parallel with the axis of the motor; means for moving each of said pistons into said channel after it has moved past said abutment; a rotary guiding member located within said casing and adapted to guide said pistons in. their movements parallel with said shaft; and a port adjacent said abutment and through which fluid may flow from the interior of said casing into said channel.

3. In a fluid operated motor, a casing 7 comprising two casing members secured together and one of which is provided with an inner annular wall, and with a circumferentially extending cam surface terminating in an abutment; a cam member located within and spaced apart from said casing and having an annular wall, and a cam sur face corresponding in form with said first mentioned cam surface, the inner annular wall of said first mentioned casing member and the annular wall of said cam member being concentric and forming the sides of an annular channel, andthe two cam surfaces aforesaid together forming the bottom wall of said channel; a shaft supported in hearings in said casing; a rotary annular piston carrying member carried by said shaft and operating in the space between said cam member and said casing; a plurality of pistons movable in slots provided in said piston carrying member and adapted to move along said channel; operating means including a spring adapted to move each piston into said channel after it has moved past said abutment; and a port adjacent said abutment and through which fluid may flow into said channel.

a. In a fluid operated motor, a casing comprising two casing members secured together and one of which is provided with an inner annular wall, and with a circum ferentially extending cam surface terminating in an abutment; a cam member located within and spaced apart from said casing and having an annular wall, and a cam surface corresponding in form with said first mentioned cam surface, the inner annular Wall of said first mentioned casing member and the annular wall of said cam member being concentric and forming the sides of an annular channel, and the two cam surfaces aforesaid together forming the bottom wall of said channel; a shaft supported in bearings in said casing; a rotary annularpiston carrying member carried by said shaft and operating in the space between said cam member and said casing; a plurality of pistons each tubular in form and movable in slots provided in said piston carrying member and adopted to move along said channel; a flexible member associated with each of said pistons, one end thereof being connected with its piston, a spring associated with each flexible member and to which the free end of the corresponding flexible member is connected and the other ends of which springs are connected with said shaft; guides carried by said piston carrying member and about which said flexible members extend; and port adjacent said abutment and through which fluid may flow into said channel.

5. In a fluid operated motor, a casing comprising two casing members secured together and one of which is provided with an inner annular wall, and with circumferentially extending cam surface terminating in an abutment; a cam member located within and spaced apart from said casing and having an annular wall, and a cam surface corresponding in form with said first mentioned cam surface, the inner annular wall of said first mentioned casing member and the annular wall of said cam member being concentric and forming thesides of an annular channel, and the two cam surfaces aforesaid together forming the bottom wall of said channel; a shaft supported in bearings in said casing; a rotary annular piston carrying member carried by said shaft and operating in the space between said cam member and said casing; a plurality of pistons carried by and movable relative to said piston carrying member and adapted !to move along said channel; means for moving each of said pistons into said channel after it has moved past said abutment; means for preventing said last mentioned movement until the pistons have moved a short distance beyond said abutment; and a port adjacent said abutment and through which fluid may flow from the interior of said casing into said channel.

6. In a fluid operated motor, a casing comprising two casing members secured together and one of which is provided with an inner annular wall, and with a circumferentially extending cam surface terminating in an abutment; a cam member located within and spaced apart from said casing and supported from the other member thereof, and which cam member is provided with an annular wall, and with a cam surface corresponding in form with said first mentioned cam surface, the inner annular wall of said first mentioned casing member and the annular wall. of said cam member being concentric and forming the sides of an an nular channel, and the two cam surfaces aforesaid together forming the bottom wall of said channel; a shaft supported in bearings in said casing; a rotary annular piston carrying member carried by said shaft and operating in the space between said cam member and said casing; a plurality of pistons carried by and movable relative to said piston carrying member and adapted to move along said channel; means for moving each of said pistons into said channel after it has moved past said abutment; and a port adjacent said abutment and through which fluid mayflow into said channel.

7 In a fluid operated motor, a casing comprising two casing members secured together and one of which is provided with an inner annular wall, and with a circumferentially extending cam surface terminating in an abutment; a cam member located within and spaced apart from said casing and supported from the other member thereof, and which cam member is provided with an an nular wall, and with a cam surface corresponding in formwith said first mentioned cam surface, the inner annular wall of said first mentioned casing member and the annular wall of said cam member being concentric and forming the sides of an annular channel, and the two cam surfaces aforesaid together forming the bottom wall of said channel; a shaft supported in bearings in said casing; a rotary annular piston carry ing member carried by said shaft and operating in the space between said cam memher and said casing; a plurality of plstons 'movable in slots provided in said piston carrying member, and. adopted to move along said channel, and to move also in a direction parallel with the axis of the motor; means for moving each of said pistons into said channel after it has moved past said abutment; a rotary guiding member located MARTIN V. BETHRIDGE.

Witnesses R. N. FLINT, P. W. RADGLIFF.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, I). C. 

